Published: August 23, 2006

Blake, who grew up in Fairfield, Conn., and is ranked fifth in the world, was cheered by the crowd of 8,096 as he played in the second round after a first-round bye.

The partisan fans watched as he dominated Ram?z Hidalgo with his menacing forehand and consistent backhand to win the first set and take a 5-2 lead in the second. But that advantage slowly evaporated and he found himself in a tie breaker. Blake went ahead by 4-0, but that lead also disappeared and he lost the tie breaker, 8-6.

In the third set, Blake appeared to finish off Ram?z Hidalgo by taking a 4-0 lead. Again, Ram?z Hidalgo forced a tie breaker.

Ram?z Hidalgo, a Spaniard ranked 57th, was surprised by his resilience. ''I was just trying to have fun,'' he said.

Blake, the highest-ranked American player among men and women, is a favorite to win the United States Open, which begins Monday.

He said the loss here would give him more time to focus on the Open.

''When I get to the U.S. Open I am going to put this all out of my mind,'' Blake said.

FORMER CHAMPIONS NOT SEEDED -- Andre Agassi, Serena Williams and Marat Safin were not seeded yesterday for the United States Open because they had fallen too far in the rankings. Agassi, Williams and Safin, all former Open champions, will not have any protection in today's draw and may wind up facing a top player in the first round. The Open seeds players directly according to the ATP and WTA rankings, so No. 1-ranked Roger Federer and Am?e Mauresmo are seeded No. 1. (AP)

Photo: James Blake lost in his first match at the Pilot Pen tournament. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

Correction: August 28, 2006, Monday
A sports article on Wednesday about the Pilot Pen tennis tournament in New Haven referred incorrectly in some copies to the defeat of top-seeded James Blake by Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo. Blake lost in the second round after having a bye in the first.